ABSTRACT

So begins the quote to the UK entry in a publication, Living and Ageing in Europe (Patel and Mertens, 1998). It illustrates the reality of many Black and minority ethnic (BME) older persons as being neither passive nor inactive as they age. This chapter outlines some of the key developments in care and the challenges that await us as the numbers rise in the context of the current care position. It should be noted that while many aspects outlined below are relevant to the UK, they are also applicable to other countries in Europe. This is not simply in relation to cultural, linguistic and religious differences, but also experiences generated as a result of elders being a minority, 'migrant' and lor refugees. Such a background explains the external forces in society that determine opportunities, life chances and consequent adjustments minorities may make, successfully or not. For example, it was one aspect of this recognition, racism, which the European Parliament regarded as significant in European countries and thus declared 1997 as the European Year against Racism. In 1998, an action programme was instituted to establish the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia.